Shall We Play In The Snow?
by Ellis McDohl
Summary: X looks into his own heart while a playful voice calls out to him. Asking him to play in the snow.


"Shall We Play In The Snow?"  
by: Ellis McDohl  
First entry: August 17, 2001  
Last entry: August 17, 2001  
  
disclaimer: You know who they belong to! They belong to Capcom!  
  
Author's notes:  
Hello. This story takes place after X5, assuming that Zero was repaired once again and the war's over. I haven't been thinking too much of late so this might not be very good. I'll try to do better next time. Things aren't going the way I wanted them to and it looks like this confuses me a lot. ^-^' I also hope it's not too confusing...   
If there are any flames... it's okay. I accept flames but please go easy on me...  
I hope you enjoy.  
  
Ellis McDohl  
************************************************************************  
  
"Shall We Play In The Snow?"  
by: Ellis McDohl  
  
/Come here and let's play in the snow,/  
/Come here for all those to know./  
/Forever the world shall spin,/  
/Hoping tomorrow will not go dim./  
  
Shall we play in the snow, X? A voice suddenly asked.  
  
X stopped and turned his head up from the floor where he was looking. The Hunter base was quiet at the present since the Sigma and Zero Virus had been contained and there were very few attacks. He was alone in the hall where he walked, carry a small bundle of papers to take to the office where his friend, Zero waited.  
  
It wasn't that he needed to do that, it's just that he wanted to help out while he had nothing to do.  
  
His footsteps echoed as he began to walk, once again toward the office. As he did so, he began to reminisce about those times when he tried to please Zero. Zero would frown sometimes, as though he knew that he was forcing himself on something. They were hunters, that was true, but Zero was very much aware of how much his friend hated fighting. But they had no choice. They had to fight. But now that the war was over, X did other things that mostly he did to try and please him.  
  
Zero doesn't say much but his emerald eyes did the talking.  
  
Promise me you won't lie to yourself... Zero once told him.  
  
But X felt he had to please Zero. That was the least he could do to pay him back for all the saving he did. In fact, it was still not enough. That was what he felt. He loved Zero like his own brother as did his friend.  
  
His guilty conscience would not allow him to forgive himself for all the pain he had caused to his friend. He would do whatever he can to get Zero back.  
  
Shall we play in the snow, X?   
  
It doesn't seem like it wanted to stop from asking. He wasn't going crazy but he didn't know why it was there in the first place. He stopped once again and looked out the window to see the snow flakes falling from the sky, gently. It was winter now and the snow covered the ground white, looking so inviting.  
  
It was soothing to see the snowflakes falling gently like Sakura petals during spring. It was beautiful but cold. Very much the opposite of the warm sunshine he had always wanted. He didn't understand why but he felt cold.  
  
It's not that his armor didn't protect him from the cold. On the contrary, it kept him warm. But his heart was not warm enough. Not lately anyway. Zero was the only one who could melt it all away with his concerned looks.  
  
X gave out a sigh.. The snow was thickening outside but there was no one to shovel them off the path. Now, the snow fell heavily. X was sure there was no one outside either and he can't help but think how dark the sky was.  
  
He closed his eyes...  
  
  
/Let's play a game of truth and lies,/  
/A game that's played for all time./  
/The truth is the truth and shall forever be./  
/A lie is a lie, and so break free.../  
  
  
He stood in a place covered with snow. The sky was clouded and the snow fell and continued to add the layers that now lay upon the white ground. He looked around and saw that he was standing alone in that snowy field.  
  
And yet he wasn't alone. He felt it. A presence he knew he had known for a long time. But it wasn't Zero's presence because he knew how that felt like. He always felt safe just to see Zero standing there, though he did not smile much. He still understood.  
  
X closed his eyes, feeling a little colder than normal. His armor was supposed to keep him warm but at the present development, it wasn't going at all much as planned. He shivered a little but not too much.  
  
"Are you cold?" A voice of a child from behind him, spoke.  
  
X turned, slowly to find himself standing there, smiling. X's eyes went round in surprise, he didn't know why he should be there when he was himself. The child smiled. X realized it was himself back when Dr. Light was still alive so many years ago. Back when he was just called "Megaman".  
  
Megaman smiled as he looked up at X with shinning blue eyes.  
  
"Are you cold?" He asked once again.  
  
"Who...?" He began. "Are you...me?"   
  
Megaman laughed. "What do you think?" He asked back.  
  
X tried to reach out for him but he disappeared and reappeared beside him with his back turned to him.  
  
"But more importantly," Megaman asked. "who are you?"  
  
X straightened up and turned to face his younger counterpart.  
  
"I am you." He replied simply.  
  
Megaman laughed and X heard malice in that laughter. He frowned, slightly.  
  
"Really?" He asked again, turning his head, slightly to face him. "Are you sure?"  
  
"How can I be anyone else than you?" X asked back.  
  
"Wrong answer!" Megaman declared.  
  
X stepped back, startled. "What do you mean by that?" He demanded.  
  
Megaman disappeared and reappeared beside him. Malice clearly seen in his eyes. X suddenly felt fear in his heart that he tried his best to hide. Megaman seemed pleased to see this fear and his smile broadened.  
  
"I can never be someone like you." He said and suddenly turned, angrily at him. "You're a murderer!"  
  
"What...?"  
  
"You killed your own best friend!" Megaman accused.  
  
"Wha...?" X breathed. "Zero's alive!"  
  
Megaman smiled maliciously. "Really?" He asked. "He maybe alive now but what do you call what happened to him a few weeks ago after the war?"  
  
X stared, shocked. Megaman continued. X was unconsciously aware of the thickening snow around him. It had fallen harder this time. The snow piled up to reach his knees. The wind blowing harder, nearly hurting his face.  
  
"He got killed a couple of times just to save you..." Megaman said bitterly. "But didn't do anything to try and save him!"  
  
X stepped back and fell on his knees, suddenly afraid. What if what if his younger counterpart told the truth? He closed his eyes, unaware that Megaman looked down at him, frowning.  
  
  
/Let's play a game of hide and seek./  
/A game that's played when the lights are bleak./  
/Come here now and follow my lead,/  
/So only then shall we be freed./  
  
  
Thoughts raced about in his mind. All the thoughts that he didn't think would be there were there now. All the guilt he tried to bury in his heart had appeared once again. He hated this feeling but he couldn't help it now.  
  
"Zero saved me..." X began.  
  
"...He was always there for me..." Megaman said.  
  
"...Always made me smile..."  
  
"...When I needed someone to lean on, he was there..."  
  
"...I couldn't save him, even once..."  
  
"...I'm so pathetic..."  
  
From X's closed eyes, anguish tears began to stream down his face. He had always felt guilty about this. Zero was always saving him, without as much as a look back. He didn't even think he might never be brought back to life again.  
  
But even such, he didn't blame me... X thought as he looked up at Megaman.  
  
"...Zero never blamed me..." X said. "...He always told me how much he cared for me. Just like having a little brother... I always looked up to him... I always tried my best to please him... Show him that I was someone else..."  
  
"...Do you know how much it hurts him to see you force yourself?" Megaman asked, quietly. "He doesn't want you to be anyone else but yourself..."  
  
X stood up and looked up at the sky. The snow continued to fall but not as hard as it used to. Megaman looked at him, smiling.  
  
"You remember that promise you made to him a while back?" Megaman asked.  
  
"Yeah..." X replied.  
  
"What was that promise again?" He asked, huskily.  
  
"I promised him," He began. "that I'll never lie to myself..."  
  
There was a short silence.  
  
"Do you want to keep it?" Megaman asked once again.  
  
"...Yes." He replied.   
  
X opened his palm to catch a snow flake into. It landed gently upon it, without a question. Without as much as look back. Not being afraid at all. X gave out a short laugh as he enclosed it, gently.   
  
"Why are you laughing?" Megaman asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
X shook his head, slightly while he smiled. "I just remembered..." He remarked.  
  
"Remember what?" Megaman asked, innocently.  
  
"That Zero was like a snowflake..." He replied.   
  
"Huh?"  
  
  
"Zero looked like he was never afraid." He began, more to himself. "He would fight without as much as a look back. And he protected me, more than once." He said. "I'll stop wearing a mask and show him that I can protect him too..."  
  
Megaman bowed his head. "Will you forgive yourself now?" He asked.  
  
X nodded, slightly.  
  
Megaman raised his head and X was suddenly surprised to see him smiling, brightly and peacefully now. All the traces of what used to be malice was gone now. The shadow in his heart faded away quicker than when it appeared in the first place. The sky was clearing and the snow stopped falling as hard as it used to. The snow was still as high as his knees but he didn't mind.  
  
What he knew was that his other self was smiling back at him with a contented face.  
  
"I'm glad then..." He said, smiling.  
  
X nodded and looked up at the sky while the place melted away...  
  
  
...And found himself standing there in that long hall, looking out at the window. It had stopped snowing outside but it the ground outside remained covered white. Vaguely, he could see a few reploids clearing a path for them to walk on.  
  
It was annoying work but someone had to do it. There were other reploids outside too, busily rushing about carrying all sorts of things to places they were supposed to go. Some however, walked leisurely along, chatting with friends and greeting the others as they passed by.  
  
X smiled when he saw Alia and Douglas walking along. Douglas carried a large bundle of papers while Alia carried a small stack of it. Alia looked like she was trying to convince Douglas to give some of those to her but he only laughed.  
  
X gave out a short laugh at them, amused. Then he turned back to where he was supposed to go and was suddenly startled to see a familiar figure standing a few meters away from where he stood. But then he smiled at the figure, his first reaction disappeared, like ice under the warm sun.  
  
"Hello, Zero." X greeted.  
  
Zero nodded, slightly and walked and stopped when he was near enough to him.  
  
"It seems something amuses you..." Zero remarked.  
  
X grinned broadly. Zero saw this, understanding what all this meant. Everything will be okay now and he needn't ask about any explanation.  
  
"Let's go back and finish our work." He said and turned back to the way they came.  
  
X nodded and was about to follow but a small snowflake suddenly flew past his shoulder. He turned and saw himself-the younger one-standing there, smiling at him, waving his hand at him. X only smiled back at him and nodded slightly.  
  
Then he turned back and followed Zero.  
  
  
/Come then.../  
/Shall we play in the snow?/  
  
  
END 


End file.
